Sony has launched the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS in South Africa, offering wildlife and sports photographers a 654g super-telephoto zoom with optional 800mm reach and a recommended retail price of R17,999.
Sony has added a new long zoom to its E-mount range in South Africa, with the FE 100-400mm F5.6-8 OSS positioned as a lighter alternative to more traditional super-telephoto lenses. The company says the full-frame optic weighs 654g and measures 164.5mm in length, making it a comparatively compact choice for photographers who need reach without carrying a heavy setup.
The lens covers a useful 100mm to 400mm range, which suits wildlife, sport, aviation and other distant subjects. Sony says the design also takes advantage of telephoto compression, allowing photographers to flatten perspective in landscapes or isolate subjects more clearly against blurred backgrounds. An optional 2x teleconverter extends the longest focal length to 800mm, while APS-C bodies increase the equivalent field of view to 1,200mm.
Optically, Sony says the lens uses two extra-low dispersion glass elements and two aspherical elements to control chromatic aberration and other distortions across the zoom range. A nine-blade circular aperture is intended to help produce smoother out-of-focus areas, while the close-focusing specification of 0.86m at the telephoto end and 1.13m at the wide end gives the lens some flexibility for nearer subjects such as flowers or insects.
Autofocus is handled by dual linear motors, which Sony says are designed to deliver quick, quiet and accurate operation for both stills and video. On the Alpha 9 III, the lens can support continuous shooting with autofocus and auto-exposure tracking at up to around 120 frames per second, although that depends on shooting conditions. The lens also includes Optical SteadyShot, with Active Mode and co-ordinated stabilisation available on compatible bodies, plus breathing compensation for video recording.
The control layout is straightforward, with a customisable focus-hold button, a combined focus-mode and focus-range switch, and a zoom-lock switch to prevent unwanted extension during transport. Sony also says the lens is dust- and moisture-resistant, although it is not presented as fully sealed against the elements. In South Africa, the recommended retail price is R17,999.
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